


So Close (And Yet So Far)

by magic_miraculous



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Damian is technically still Robin but isn't active during this story, Daminette, Daminette December, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mari goes to Gotham, MariBat, Maridami, Marinette guardian in training, Marinette has her miraculous but doesn't actually use it for hero stuff, Other, Superheroes+Birds+Witty Banter, THIS IS GONNA BE A DOOZY, ml salt, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:04:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21625297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magic_miraculous/pseuds/magic_miraculous
Summary: Well, hello hello hello!It's finally Daminette December time!Marinette has had enough of Paris, and after the defeat of Hawkmoth she has no reason to stay. So, she heads to Gotham for school and finds some awesome friends along the way. But will a certain friend become something more?(Ugh I know how cheesy that sounds but I'm just really bad at writing summaries, bear with me)
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois/Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Quantic Kids, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 35
Kudos: 389





	1. Prologue

Marinette only applied to two schools: Gotham University and the Sorbonne. The only reason she applied to the latter was to appease her parents. They wanted her to have a backup plan in case the Gotham thing didn’t work out, and in case she changed her mind about going to a crime capital of the world.

Of course, she didn’t change her mind. She got into both schools, but barely even looked at her letter from the Sorbonne. She loved the idea of staying close to her family, but at the same time she needed to  _ go _ . After everything that happened, she needed an out, and this was her only option. Gotham or bust.

Marinette wanted to brave the world on her own, so that was exactly what she would do. Well, she and Tikki would, anyway. Thankfully, Master Fu let her keep Tikki with her, and she promised that they could do Guardian lessons remotely during the school year and in person during the summers. Hawkmoth may have been gone, but it was best to be prepared, just in case. Chat Noir still had his miraculous, much to her annoyance, but at least she had Luka, Kagami and Chloe still on her side.

Graduation was a solemn affair for her. It was a nice early summer day and everyone around her was smiling, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. She got through the ceremony without really thinking about it, and smiled weakly for a few photos before everyone dispersed. While her class went out to celebrate that night, Marinette stayed home, blasting Jagged’s first album and packing the last of her things before her flight the next day.

“I think your suitcase is going to burst if you put anything else in, Marinette,” Tikki said as Marinette attempted to zip up the biggest suitcase she could find in the house, which was filled to the brink with handmade clothes, sewing supplies, a few notebooks, and other miscellaneous items. “You can always have your parents send you something if you need to, or you can buy more supplies in Gotham. I’m sure there will be a fabric store or two near the campus.”

“I guess you’re right.” Marinette groaned as she tried a final time to zip up the suitcase. It didn’t work, so she unzipped it and started taking things out again. “But I’m bringing all of the notebooks. No exceptions.”

“Of course. And don’t forget, your parents wanted to have a farewell dinner with you tonight at eight.”  
“What time is it now?”

“Seven forty-five.”

“Ugh. I can come back to this later.” Marinette stood up and brushed herself off, looking angrily at the suitcase a final time. “I’ll be back,” she told it, which made Tikki laugh. She hadn’t heard Marinette make a joke in a while. Marinette gave Tikki a faint smile. “Thanks.”

“Come on, your parents are waiting for you. It’s your last night here for three months at least, so go have fun.”

“I will. And I promise I’ll sneak up some of that cake they’ve been ‘secretly’ making for me. It’s chocolate marble,” she added, which made Tikki grin. “I’ll be back later!”

She went down the trapdoor to the bakery, and Tikki stayed behind.

Tikki looked around Marinette’s room, which was pretty bare but was still distinctly Marinette’s. Most of the pictures from the wall had come down long ago, but the ones Marinette cherished were safely packed away. Ones with her true friends remained, while the others were probably recycled a few years earlier. The mannequin in the corner still had clothes on it, but it was missing pins and its measuring tape scarf. There were still sheets on the bed, but her favorite pillowcase and stuffed animals were safely packed in her suitcase. The walls were still pink, but the pink didn’t seem so bright and fun anymore.

Marinette had changed, that was for sure. Tikki knew that. She only hoped this change would help Marinette get back to herself for a change, get her out of her head and give her some peace after so much heartbreak in Paris.

Only time would tell.


	2. Chapter 1-- "Just a Friend

“Mari, who keeps calling you?” Damian asked as the pair sat at a table in the library of Gotham University. The two had known each other for only a few months now, but Damian already knew her expressions and mannerisms quite well. He noticed that whenever her phone vibrated she tensed, even if it ended up being her parents or one of their mutual ‘friends’ (Damian throws the word around loosely; they’re Marinette’s friends more than his, but he tolerates them. At least one of them, Felix, has a similar disposition to him. That makes it a bit more bearable). Usually, though, it was an unknown number that made her uncomfortable, but it seemed like she knew the number but intentionally didn’t include it in her contacts.

She always gave the same answer when Damian asked.

“Oh, it’s… it’s just a friend from home, that’s all,” she’d say, not meeting his eye. She still had a bit of an accent, but thanks to tutoring with Chloe she’d become proficient in English. Then she’d hurriedly change the subject, usually back to the assignment she was working on or talking about the surprisingly nice weather on a given day. Damian didn’t often press, but today he did. He didn’t really know why, but he just felt like he needed to. Something about this caller was making his friend unhappy, and he was sick of just letting it happen. He was Robin, after all; it was his duty to help those in need.

“Please, will you tell me? I know it bothers you.”

“It’s just a guy from lycee, that’s it. I promise,” she replied, plastering a smile on her face. It was too obviously fake.

Damian leaned forward. “Mari, please. It’ll just stay between you and me, and I do not judge.” That last part was somewhat of a lie, though; he judged his brothers, he judged many of his classmates silently, but he would  _ never _ judge Marinette. He didn’t have the heart to do it.

Mari sighed. “Fine. Long story short, old friend became very toxic, I got a new phone, somehow he got the new number, and I can’t change my number again because of certain contacts-- and besides, it costs money that doesn’t need to be spent-- and I answered once and we fought, so I never answered again. I don’t know how he calls so much, since he’s supposed to be at University in London.”

Damian just stared at her for a minute. The longer he stared, the more she squirmed.

“Are you going to say something or what?”

“What? Oh, sorry,” Damian replied, taking a deep breath. “That guy sounds like an ass. You should press charges.”

“Yeah, right! His father is one of the top designers in France, and he’s one of the most famous models in the world! Meanwhile, my parents are bakers, and any money I’ve made from designing goes straight to paying for University.”

“I-” Damian started, but the phone started vibrating again, shaking the table and making both of the teens stare angrily at the screen. Marinette exhaled and hit the ‘decline’ button, but not before Damian could see the number. He made a mental note to give the number to Tim; hopefully he could do something about it.

“How about we go for a walk?” Damian suggests. “Get your mind off of him. One condition, though-- phones go on airplane mode.” He realized right after he said it that it might not be the best idea to limit his contact to his family in case of an emergency, and Marinette had the exact same idea.

“How about just on vibrate? I really should have it on and connected in case someone needs me,” Mari said.

Damian nodded. “Of course,” he replied before standing up and slinging his backpack over his shoulders. “Shall we?”

“Yes, we shall.” Mari laughed and followed Damian outside.

“So, where to?”

“Let’s just see where fate takes us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it officially begins!
> 
> All of the prompts are available to see on @daminette-december2019 on Tumblr, and that might give you a general idea of how this fic is going to go (but there will definitely be some twists, I promise you that!)
> 
> COMING UP NEXT-- Chapter 2 "Blind Date"
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @magic-miraculous!


	3. Chapter 2-- "Blind Date"

Marinette absolutely adored Gotham University. She felt free there, away from the responsibilities and drama that she’d been sucked into in Paris. Ever since the defeat of Hawkmoth a few months before, Mari had found that the only tie she had to the city was her parents. Luka was touring with Jagged as an intern, Kagami had gone to Japan for pre-Olympic training and University, and Chloe was planning to move to New York with her mother after her father lost his job as Paris’s mayor. She had no contact with anyone else in the class, but she did hear what some of them were up to through Luka, who was told from Juleka. Apparently, Lila and Adrien had started dating a few weeks into the summer (Marinette had left for Gotham just a few days after graduation, staying at the university for a summer program specifically for foreign students; where she met Damian, actually, even though he wasn’t a foreign student of course), and Alya and Nino had broken up yet again soon after. They got together for the first time during their last year in college, but the relationship had always been rocky. Alya was under Lila’s command, and Nino didn’t appreciate that. Luka said that this might be the real end for them, though. Nathaniel got into a prestigious art program at the Sorbonne, and Sabrina became one of Lila’s new cronies. The rest of the class didn’t do anything that Marinette or Luka found noteworthy. As much as thinking about her old class angered her, she felt comfort in the fact that she was able to escape and find such amazing friends.

Chloe, Luka, Kagami, Allegra, Felix, Allan, Claude. And now Damian, too, as difficult as it was for him to admit.

Marinette really appreciated Damian’s sobering and serious presence. He brought her back down when she spiraled, and he actually listened to her, which she really appreciated. He wasn’t the type of person Marinette ever expected to be friends with, but she’d found their personalities really complemented each other. Tikki even thought he reminded her of a black cat, and Mari agreed.

The duo was quiet on their walk, as Mari expected they would be. Mari waved as people she knew passed by, but Damian kept walking. She had to take quicker steps to keep up with his brisk pace, but with her extra endurance she wasn’t out of breath.

It was outside one of the academic buildings that a club had set up a table covered in newspaper-wrapped books. The sign in front of the table said “BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK: $2.00”

“Oh, look!” Mari said, pointing at the table. “Let’s go over!” She grabbed Damian’s hand, an act that he surprisingly didn’t recoil from as he would have if it was anyone else who’d done it, and headed over to the table.

“Hi! Want a book?” a boy sitting behind the table asked. “Some general info is written on the front, just so you have a general idea of what you’re getting into, but all the titles are hidden.”

Marinette picked up a thin book, reading the notes on the cover.  _“SUPERHEROES, BIRDS, WITTY BANTER”_

“Can I take this one, please?”

“It’s all yours! Just two dollars, please.”

Marinette fished through her bag and frowned. “Any chance you would take euros? I need to convert some more cash…”

“I’ve got it, Mari,” Damian said, pulling out some money from his wallet.

“No, it’s--”

“It’s only two dollars,” he replied. “No big deal.”

“I’ll pay you back,” she said, making it clear that she wasn’t going to let him get away with that.

“If you say so. Want to keep walking?”

“Yeah!”

As they walked, Marinette started to unwrap the book. “Superheroes, birds, witty banter,” she told Damian. “Any guesses?”

“Comic book?” he suggested.

“Right you are!” She held up a copy of “Batman and Robin: Bad Blood.”

Damian scoffed. So it was one of the fake stories. There was no ‘bad blood’ between him and his father, and even when Dick was acting as Batman he was sure to keep things professional.

“--are so cool!” Mari said, flipping through the pages. Damian watched to make sure she didn’t trip over anything on the ground. “Who’s your favorite?”

Damian’s favorite hero? He couldn’t say Robin; that would be conceited, and on the slight chance she ever found out his alter ego she would think he was a raging narcissist.  _ Definitely _ not Todd, and he would rather die than have Grayson find out he said something nice about the eldest brother. That only left--

“I guess Red Robin is pretty cool,” he replied calmly. “What about you?”

“I really like Robin,” Mari said. “Even though he has terrible fashion sense and his costume could use a serious update.”

Damian felt an unnatural blush forming from her first comment, but her second one sobered his thoughts. “What do you mean, ‘bad fashion sense’? His costume is tasteful, and timeless!”

“More like ‘lost in time,’” Mari told him, flipping to a page in the comic that had his full outfit on display. “The cape is old-fashioned and a bit too long, and the color blocking just gives you a headache, you know? The colors work, but they’re also very bright and… violent, maybe? I can’t find the right word, but you know what I mean, right?”

“Sure,” he muttered, staring at the page. He never really thought about any of the things she said, but now those critiques were all he could see. He’d have to talk to Alfred or one of his brothers about potentially changing it.

Wait, why did he care so much what she thought of his alter ego’s outfit? For some reason, he now craved her approval. He didn’t like that feeling at  _ all _ . At least she looked happy, though. He always saw a light in her eyes when she talked about fashion, and this was just the distraction she needed to get over the stress of getting so many unsolicited calls.

Damian found himself wishing he could stare at that smile forever.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BONUS #1:

“So, could you find out who the number belongs to?”

“Yeah, it’s a guy named Adrien Agreste. Age eighteen. Son of Gabriel Agreste; big fashion guy. Kid’s a model, currently living in London and attending University there. Business school, of course.”

“Any chance you can make it so his number can’t call this one?” Damian asked, handing Tim a piece of paper with Marinette’s number on it. “But you aren’t allowed to look up the holder of this number. You have to promise me.”

“Yeah, sure,” Tim replied, already typing away. “Okay, so now whenever he tries to call this number he’ll get one of those ‘why are you harassing women?’ messages. That good?”

“Perfect. Thank you.”

Tim blinked. “Did you… did you just  _ thank me _ for something?”

“I take it back.”

“Too late! I’m going to cherish this moment forever, Demon Spawn. I hope you know that.”

“I’ll stab you, Drake. So help me, I’ll do it right now.”

“So that  _ is _ a knife in your sock! Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

“Not as uncomfortable as it would be to be stabbed by it.”

“Touche.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BONUS #2:

In the Batcave:

Damian: Do you guys think my suit is outdated?

Dick: It’s a classic!

Damian: That’s what I thought too, but recently someone I know from school said that it was ‘lost to time,’ and that the colors were blocky and too bright and I’m starting to see it.

Tim: Is it the same person whose number you gave me to block from that creep?

Jason: What person? What creep?

Damian: Drake, I swear to all that you hold dear, I  _ will _ stab you.

Tim: Do it. I’m calling your bluff.

Bruce: No stabbing  _ anyone _ ! We’ve talked about this!

Damian (mouthing to Tim): Watch your back!

Bruce: But yeah, the outfit can be a bit much sometimes.

Dick: *indignant noises*

Damian: Alfred, can we make some changes?

Alfred: Of course, Master Damian. I’ll have some new sketches ready in the next few days.

Jason: Hope your mystery friend likes it!

Damian: *scowls at Jason* You’re next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the bonuses! They're my favorite parts that I've written so far.
> 
> All of the prompts are available to see on @daminette-december2019 on Tumblr, and that might give you a general idea of how this fic is going to go (but there will definitely be some twists, I promise you that!)
> 
> COMING UP NEXT-- Chapter 3 "Decorating"
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @magic-miraculous!


	4. Chapter 3- Decorating

Marinette needed to shake things up.

She was falling into routine, and as much as she loved having a schedule she liked, she felt stuck. So, she did the second best thing that she could do in such a situation.

She decided to re-decorate her room.

Even though she got to the university earlier than everyone else in her year, she didn’t get first pick of the rooms. She wanted a single, of course, so she could freely talk to Tikki and be able to transport back to Paris if need be. She ended up in a double with Allegra, who was super kind and introduced her to her new friend group, but sometimes she wanted some alone time with Tikki to just vent and let loose.

Allegra was home for the weekend, so Marinette and Tikki had free reign of the room. It was a good thing, too, because everything was an absolute disaster.

Mari put her headphones on and started blasting Jagged Stone’s music (specifically, his newest album), ready to work. She started with the big stuff— taking everything out of the tiny closet and sweeping the floor, moving everything under the bed, taking everything off her desk and out of the drawers and fixing it up, etc. She got into the swing of things, barely stopping for at least an hour or two. She would’ve kept going, too, if she didn’t feel a hand settle on her shoulder.

Marinette let out a scream and spun around, grabbing the person’s wrist and bending it in a way that would cause a decent amount of pain. The person let out a yelp.

“It’s just me!” Damian cried, a frown on his face. “I’m sorry I startled you! The door was cracked open and I heard you singing so I thought I’d say hi!”

Marinette immediately let go and shrunk back. “Oh, no! I’m so sorry, Damian! It’s become a habit to… you know… defend myself… but god, did I hurt you? Is your hand okay?”

Damian looked down at his hand and winced. “I’ll be fine. You have a strong grip, you know that?”

“It’s the self-defense lessons,” she replied, holding her own wrist and rubbing it as if she too could feel pain. “I’ve been taking them for years.”

“You’ve been taught well.”

“Yeah, I guess I have. But still, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what I can do to help you, though.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he replied, putting his good hand on her shoulder. “It was an accident, and the pain is already starting to go away. There might be a bruise, but I get those all the time so I’m used to them.”

Marinette frowned. “You bruise often?”

Damian paled. He’d walked himself into a rough spot. “Uh… you can’t tell anyone this, but I can be a bit clumsy sometimes. I do my best to hide it when around others, but I often run into things and trip on the sidewalk,” he replied. Hopefully that saved him.

Mari didn’t seem totally convinced, but fortunately for him she didn’t question his story further. “I get that. I’m such a klutz, it isn’t even funny anymore.” She paused for a moment before adding, “Um, I don’t know what you’re up to, but if you want to come with me, I’m going to a gaming club meeting in an hour. It’s in the basement of the science building, and apparently it’s really fun.”

Damian considered this for a minute, but he eventually nodded. “That sounds wonderful, Marinette.”

“Yay! I promise it’ll be worth your time.” Marinette grinned. “And if it isn’t, we can always play on my console some other time.” She motioned to a gaming console on the floor, which she’d taken out to wipe off and check to make sure all the games were in the right cases. “But until it starts you’re welcome to stay here. I just have to clean up a little more, but I don’t think it will take much longer.”

“I’d love to, but I should probably go do some homework before we go,” Damian replied, frowning. “But I will meet you here and we can walk over together, okay?”

Mari nodded. “Sounds great! I’ll see you soon!”

Damian headed to the door, but turned around as he opened it. “Good luck with your cleaning,” he said before giving her a quick wave.

She waved back. “Thanks!”

Damian didn’t say anything else, just stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind him.

Neither of them knew that they both sighed after the door clicked shut. They also didn’t really know why they sighed, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the prompts are available to see on @daminette-december2019 on Tumblr, and that might give you a general idea of how this fic is going to go (but there will definitely be some twists, I promise you that!)
> 
> COMING UP NEXT-- Chapter 4 "Gaming"
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @magic-miraculous!


	5. Chapter 4- Gaming

Just as he promised, Damian was right on time. He had changed into more casual clothes, just jeans, a dark t-shirt and black sneakers. Marinette had changed too, into black leggings and a striped pink t-shirt with white sneakers. Both of them realized they’d never seen the other in such casual wear, but neither said anything about it out loud.

The two walked over to the building where the club meeting was being held, and even when they were down the hall they could hear yelling and background music-- wait, was that an Ariana Grande song?

It turned out that the club was playing Just Dance 2019 that night, and Damian wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He was a proven champ at Dance Dance Revolution, but Just Dance? That was a bit different. It was on the xbox, so it just charted movements through a sometimes-faulty sensor as opposed to hitting the squares on the floor. Still, he was sure he’d excel as he always did. Marinette, too, was excited and prepped to dance.

“Ooh, this is awesome! I haven’t played Just Dance in a while, and it was the old version on the Wii. Do you want to do a team dance or competition?” she asked, looking at Damian expectantly.

“Why not start with some friendly competition?” he offered. “Fair warning, I’m quite a good dancer.”

“Good for you. So am I.”

“Miss I-trip-over-thin-air can dance? I’d like to see that.”

“Oh, you will, mister I-trip-on-the-sidewalk,” Marinette told him, attempting to look intimidating. It didn’t work on Damian.

“I don’t doubt that,” he replied before walking through the crowd to get in line for the next round.

“Alright, congrats to Bridgette for winning the last round! Who’s up for the next challenge?” A boy with a bright red microphone said over the chatter and hold music from the game console.

Marinette raised her hand to get his attention. “My friend and I want to play!” she told him.

“Fantastic! What’s your name?”

“I’m Marinette, and this is Damian.”

“Welcome to Gaming Club, Marinette and Damian! Are you ready to dance?” The two nodded. “Cool! Do you want to choose a song, or do you want to take a risk and make it randomized?”

Marinette and Damian shared a look, and Marinette responded, “Randomized.”

“Alright, alright! Random it is!” The boy said, and a minute later the song was prepped and the duo was ready to dance.

An avatar that looked eerily similar to The Riddler popped up on the screen and the first few notes of “I’m Still Standing” (the version by TopCulture, not the original Elton John tune, the pair noted) filled the room. Both of them were able to catch on fast, as they both knew the original version of the song well, but the moves were not typical dance moves. There was a lot of arm flailing and jumping around, and on more than one occasion Marinette almost whacked Damian in the face, or Damian almost tripped Marinette during a kicking move (which he later swore was completely unintentional. He would never dare ruin the sanctity of dancing games by cheating to win).

In the end, Damian technically won by a few points, but the crowd loved Marinette’s energy and personal flair. They agreed to consider it a tie of sorts for that reason.

“Wow, that was really fun! We should do another one!”

Damian looked at the line by the side of the room, which had grown substantially longer in the time they were dancing. “Maybe, but the line is so long and it’s a bit stuffy in here.”

“Yeah, it is, isn’t it? I haven’t danced like that in a while…” she sighed. “Wow, I’m out of breath.” It was these moments that she wished she still had the extra endurance the Ladybug miraculous had granted her. “Maybe we can go back to my dorm and hang out? I mean, if you want to, that is. I don’t want to force you to talk to me or hang out with me or anything, that would be rude--”

“That sounds nice, Marinette.” Damian cut her off, but he knew she would probably continue to ramble once they left the room. Best to give both of them a short reprieve from that.

There was a chill in the night air as the two left the building. Neither of them had realized how much time had passed until the saw the moon and some dim stars appearing in the sky.

“If it’s too late for you, we can hang out another time. I don’t know if you have a nightly routine or anything. I don’t-- Allegra does, but she’s home for the weekend so we don’t have to worry about her. I  _ mean _ , we don’t have to worry about interrupting her sleep, not that we’d have to worry about her for any other reason, because we’d just be hanging out-- wow, how many times have I said ‘hang out’ in the last two minutes?”

“At least four,” Damian replied. “And no, I don’t have a nightly routine. My brother thinks I should, but it’s too tedious for me.” Dick was always telling him about how great a nightly routine was as he went on a tangent about his favorite creams and eye masks and lotions and those jade roller things people were obsessed with, but it was so much work. Sure, Damian obviously took care of himself, but he didn’t need to spend upwards of an hour in the bathroom two times a day for that.

“Oh, okay. You have three brothers, right?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“I always wanted siblings, but given how much people always say they hate theirs, maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have any.”

“They can be good sometimes. You can never tell anyone I said that, though,” he added.

Marinette held out her pinky. “I promise.”

Damian reluctantly held out his pinky as well. If his brothers ever found out he did that, they’d torture him relentlessly.

“So, what do you want to do? We can watch a movie, or play Ultimate Mecha Strike, or just talk,” Marinette offered.

“You choose.”

“Movie?”

“Sounds great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the prompts are available to see on @daminette-december2019 on Tumblr, and that might give you a general idea of how this fic is going to go (but there will definitely be some twists, I promise you that!)
> 
> COMING UP NEXT-- Chapter 5 "Fire"
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @magic-miraculous!


	6. Chapter 5-- Fire

Usually, it took Marinette about five minutes to get back to her dorm from most of the main buildings on campus. Damian was a fast walker, so they got there in closer to three. But it only took about a minute of walking before sirens started ringing through the night air, and another thirty seconds to realize they were coming from outside Marinette’s dorm building.

“What’s going on?” she asked Damian, wondering if he had any ideas.

“Not sure. Hopefully it’s just a false alarm and nobody is hurt.” He made a mental note to contact his father later if the alarm was serious and let him know what happened. “I guess we’ll just wait here until someone gives out more information.”

The two stood on the pathway near the building, surrounded by other students who had been in the building at the time the alarm went off. They were all in various states of dress and distress. Both of them pitied the few kids with soaking wet hair who had to go outside mid-shower.

“Okay. How about we play a game?”

Damian gave her a look. “Depends. What kind of game?”

“Um… what about twenty-one questions? You ask each other questions and the other has to answer truthfully or they have to do something else instead, usually something embarrassing.”

“So, it’s truth or dare, but you automatically start with truth.”

“I guess so?”

“Fine. Should I start, or would you like to?”

Marinette paused for a moment, then responded, “I’ll start. And to be nice, I’ll give you an easy question. What’s your favorite color?”

“Red,” Damian replied. “What about yours?”

“Pink, if you couldn’t tell from the everything about me,” she joked, pointing to her shirt. “Okay, what is one thing you own that you cannot live without?”

Damian wasn’t sure what to say. He obviously couldn’t respond with a weapon, but if he didn’t say anything for such a simple question, he would sound suspicious. “Probably my computer, I presume.”

“That makes sense.”  
“Yes, I guess it does,” he responded, internally sighing with relief. “Why did you come to Gotham University instead of going to one in Paris?”

“Well, I guess I just needed a change in scenery. In Paris, I would have lived at home and commuted to school each day, and also by coming here I am closer to a good friend in New York, whose mother offered me a job for when I graduate. It just made the most sense.”

“May I ask what kind of job you were offered?”

“Not yet. I get to ask another question first, but I’ll answer that one after you answer mine. What’s your biggest pet peeve?”

“Probably my brothers. Or when idiotic villains terrorize the city. That might be a bit vague, but I can’t think of a better way to put it.”

“No, I understand. I feel the same way about Paris.”

“Paris? How do you mean?”

“With the akumas and all of that from the past few years. The villains have all been defeated, though, so it isn’t an issue anymore, but it was a nuisance.”

Damian made yet another mental note to discuss the previous situation in Paris to his father. Before he could ask more, a man’s voice called out from closer to the building.

“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?  _ Hey! _ ” All chatter stopped. “Thank you. So, someone burned some popcorn, which caused the alarm to go off and the fire department to come all this way to deal with the issue. We’ve talked about this, kids! Please be more careful when making things in the microwave? Do you want to be forced to go to a training seminar or something?”

A smattering of “no’s” and general groans came from the group stuck outside, and the man speaking nodded.

“I didn’t think so. This is your final warning! Have a nice night,” the man ended before walking away from the group to talk to the firefighters again.

“I guess we can go inside now,” Marinette said. “You still up for watching a movie?”

Damian nodded. “It’s still relatively early, and I only live in the building next door after all. All I ask is that we don’t make any popcorn.”

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the prompts are available to see on @daminette-december2019 on Tumblr, and that might give you a general idea of how this fic is going to go (but there will definitely be some twists, I promise you that!)
> 
> COMING UP NEXT-- Chapter 6 "Tree"
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @magic-miraculous!


	7. Chapter 6-- Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The “(insert good nickname here)” thing is intentional. You’ll understand at the end.

The pair spent almost 45 minutes deciding on a movie to watch as they sat on Marinette’s bed (at a respectable distance from each other, of course).

“You’ve never seen a Disney movie?”

“No. Too childish. You’ve never seen Casablanca?”

“Disney is  _ not _ childish! Animation doesn’t dictate the sophistication level of a film! And no, I’ve never seen that movie. My dad tried to make me watch it but I got bored.”

Damian’s eyes widened. “ _ Bored _ ? That movie is a  _ classic _ ! How could you be bored by it?”

“It just wasn’t my thing. What about a Marvel movie?”

Damian cringed. “No superheroes. We get enough contact with them in Gotham on a daily basis, I don’t need to see more of them on screen.”  
“Okay, fine.” Marinette paused before suggesting five more movies, all of which Damian rejected. “Wow, you’re hard to please.”

“And you’re uncultured.”

“So are you! Disney is a staple of childhood!”

“Not mine,” Damian replied curtly. He wasn’t sure what else to say: if he told her more about his past, she may change her view of him. If he didn’t say a lot, she’d either be suspicious or pry until they got back to the first scenario. So, he had to lie a bit. “I only watched the classics.”

“Disney is classic too! But fine, no Disney, no heroes. Ooh, what about Murder on the Orient Express?”

“I read the book.”

“Not the point.”

“But I know how it ends.”

“Who cares?” Marinette asked, already queueing up the movie. “It’s a different experience on screen than in a book, and most people watch movies multiple times and enjoy them even when they know the ending. It’s the experience that makes it good.”

Damian sighed. “I guess you have a point, Dupain-Cheng.”

“You know you can call me by my given name, right? You’ve done it before.”

“I didn’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“Does there have to be a reason?”

“There must be one for calling someone something, even if it’s really silly. Like how everyone, including you, calls Felix ‘Sparrow’.”

“Fine. I’ll think of a nickname for you. Are you happy now?”

“Yes. Yes I am,” Marinette responded before pressing ‘play’. “Now shush, and watch the movie.”

\---

Damian, as he said, already knew the ending, but Marinette had no clue what was going to happen. He honestly found it funny watching her reaction to who really was the killer, but he hid his smirk in the shadows of the dark room.

He was paying less attention to the plot than the cinematography and dialogue. One line stood out to him in particular.

_ “He is touched by angels,” the Countess told Detective Poirot. “I've been shoved by passion and hard work to become adequate.” _

Angel. That would work.

\---

It was almost two in the morning when Damian and Marinette finally realized they should probably get some sleep. Sure, it would still be the weekend tomorrow, but the secret heroes both knew they needed to rest occasionally.

“Just text me when you get back, okay? Just so I know you’re safe,” Marinette told Damian as they stood at the door of her dorm building, the cold air almost making their breath visible.

“Yes, Angel,” Damian replied, putting up the collar on the coat Marinette loaned him (one that, to his surprise, fit him perfectly) and taking a step into the dark night.

Marinette laughed. “Angel, huh? That’s what you decided on?”

Damian nodded. “Yes. Like the movie. ‘Touched by angels.’ I personally think it suits you.”

“Fine. I approve. I’ll have to think of a nickname for you too, though,” she told him. “But that’s for later. Go get some sleep.”

“Yes, Angel,” he replied. They waved at each other, and Damian started to walk away. He had only taken a few steps when Marinette called out to him again.

“Damian?”

Damian turned around. “Yes?”

“You were about to walk into a tree,” she said, pointing at a low branch behind him.

He turned around and scoffed. “I wouldn’t have walked into that.”

“Better safe than sorry, right?”

“I guess so,” Damian admitted. He ducked under the branch and turned to wave at Marinette one more time. “Good night, Angel.”

“Good night!”

And with that, they both walked away.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BONUS:

Damian (2:17 a.m.): I am back in my dorm. Good night.

Marinette (2:18 a.m.): Good night

Marinette (2:18 a.m): (insert good nickname here)

Damian (2:19 a.m.): I’m sure you will think of one. Get some sleep.

Marinette (2:19 a.m.): I will. You too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Unfortunately, it is the last one I’ll be able to write on time. I have finals coming up this week and a few papers I need to write, so I won’t have as much time to work on this. But, fear not! After finals, I’ll continue writing. Updates just won’t be as frequent. The story definitely won’t be done by December 31st, especially because some of those last few chapters (which I’ve already plotted for a change) are going to be super long (I’m looking at you, ‘Childhood friends AU’ and ‘Mistletoe’).
> 
> I’m so glad so many people like the story, and I hope you’ll still stick with reading even when updates are less frequent! :)
> 
> All of the prompts are available to see on @daminette-december2019 on Tumblr, and that might give you a general idea of how this fic is going to go (but there will definitely be some twists, I promise you that!)
> 
> COMING UP NEXT-- Chapter 7 "Dancing AU"
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @magic-miraculous!


	8. Chapter 7-- Dancer AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The song they're dancing to is 'Teeth' by Five Seconds of Summer. I'd recommend listening to it while reading to get the mood.)  
(Also, I really wish I was a professional choreographer or something because I can picture this routine in perfect detail but I am terrier at instructing people and also I can't dance to save my life so for now and forever this masterpiece is stuck in my brain)

“Please?” Marinette begged.

“No. Not a chance,” Damian replied.

There was silence for a moment, and Damian almost wondered if Marinette had hung up on him. He would never admit it, but when she spoke again he was a little startled.

“If you don’t help me, I’m destroying the jacket you commissioned me to make,” she told him. Normally, she wouldn’t resort to blackmail, but she was desperate. Her partner was MIA, and nobody else was around to take their place for practice. Felix had a chemistry exam that afternoon, Claude was off campus, Allan was at a track and field meet, and Allegra was working on her own project for the same class.

Damian groaned. “Seriously? All this for one dance?”

“It’s my midterm dance!” she told him. He was sure if she was standing in front of him, her face would be all red and she’d be staring up at him angrily, acting like she was actually intimidating (she was to others, of course, but not to him). 

“Fine, fine,” he conceded. “But I’m not going to be happy about it.”

\---------

When Damian arrived at the dance studio, Marinette was already at the barre, doing stretches and hyping herself up. The dance was an intricate one that required a lot of energy and confidence, and she needed time to prep.

"You know I'm not familiar with the routine, right?" Damian asked as he entered the studio. Marinette jumped in surprise but was quickly able to steady herself again.

"Don't worry, I learn best by teaching," she told him. "Now come on, we have to stretch." She neck Ned for him to join her at the barre, and for the next twenty minutes they stretched and Marinette once again apologized for the last-minute request.

"If Thomas was able to be here, he would," Marinette told her interim partner. "But to be honest with you, I don't know if he's as invested in the piece as I wish he was. It requires a lot of emotion and storytelling without saying a word. But basically, just so you have an idea, the plot is a fighting couple, where the guy--that's you-- is trying to repair the relationship, while the girl--me-- is not as innocent as she seems and isn't exactly a good influence on her partner. It ends poorly.

And I'm not expecting you to be perfect at it, but I need someone here to work off of, if that makes sense." Damian nodded in understanding before she continued. "Okay, good. You ready?"

"Why not?" Damian asked.

Marinette laughed and grabbed a remote off the ground by her bag in the corner, and the song they were dancing to started playing. She slipped the remote into her pocket for safekeeping.

"I'm just going to show you my part first, then I'll show you yours, then I'll help you when we put them together," she said over the booming music.

_ /Some days you're the only thing I know/Only thing that's burning when the nights grow cold/Can't look away, can't look away/Beg you to stay, beg you to stay, yeah/ _

Marinette performed the first few moves with grace and poise. She looked like she'd been dancing her whole life. Her expression changed, and her normal smile was replaced with a calculating smirk as she started to tell her story with the music.

After the first few bars were over, she grabbed the remote and paused the music. "Okay, now here's your part."

She wasn't as proficient with the guy's part as her own, which made sense, but Damian knew that someone who didn't understand dance wouldn't see a single thing wrong with her performance.

"Do you think you can do that?"

"I won't be as good as you, but I can try." He could have sworn he saw a blush on Marinette's face for a minute, but that might've been a trick of the light or from her dancing.

Marinette started the music again and the two danced together this time. Damian had greatly underestimated his own capabilities, it seemed, as he was easily able to recreate and execute Marinette's steps, even adding a little flair of his own in the fly. Marinette was undoubtedly impressed, and in her head she thanked fate for making everyone else unavailable that day so she could dance with Damian.

"Wow, that was fantastic!" she told him. "Ready for the next part?"

"Yes, I think I am."

The music started again from the beginning. Marinette did the first steps again, but this time she kept going and added in the next few steps.

_ /Sometimes you're a stranger in my bed/Don't know if you love me or you want me dead/Push me away, push me away/Then beg me to stay, beg me to stay, yeah/ _

They repeated the same routine as before, Marinette beautifully executing the steps she choreographed (Damian was surprised to learn that she made the routine on her own, and that her partner was unable to help her due to what Damian believed was utter incompetence but Marinette called 'personal reasons' and the fact that he had never danced before this class), Damian surprising Marinette with his ability to catch on to and individualize the routine.

It was at the bridge of the song when things changed.

_ /Blood on my shirt, rose in my hand/You're looking at me like you don't know who I am/Blood on my shirt, heart in my hand, still beating/ _

"So with this part, you're going to get down on one knee and hold out a rose to me," Marinette said, demonstrating. "Allegra promised that she'll sit in the front so she can throw the rose to Thomas when this part of the song starts because neither of his can hold it during the rest of the song, and then he'll throw it back to him or backwards on the stage, whichever feels right in the moment. That part isn't as relevant. Meanwhile, I'll be doing a pirouette, and when I stop I'll hold my hand out to you. You won't grab it the first time, but you will the second time. So it's," she stopped to demonstrate.

"'Blood on my shirt,'" she said, putting an accent on  _ shirt _ as she stopped spinning. "You stay on the ground, then for the 'You're looking at me' part, you're going to get up quickly and do this." She demonstrated the action, pretending she was him and he was her. "Then you'll get back on your knee for the second 'Blood' part, and for 'Still beating' You'll grab my hand after the pirouette and I'll pull you up."

_ /Fight so dirty but your love so sweet/Talk so pretty but your heart got teeth/Late night devil put your hands on me/And never, never, never, ever let go/ _

"This part is going to be different than before too," she told him. "There's less movement, but there is needs to be sharp and powerful. After 'Beating' we're going to stay in that position until 'Sweet', when we're going to move like this, away from each other," she said. "Then, on 'teeth,' we move again. Then we wait until 'me,' and this is where we come back together," she added, demonstrating the move by putting her hand on his chest and grabbing one of his hands with the other. She stared up into his eyes before asking, "Got it?"

"Yeah," he muttered, staring right back at her for a moment before remembering who he was, who she was, what they were doing, where he was. "Uh, yes. Yes, I've got it," he stammered, acting very unlike himself. "Got it down. What's next?"

Marinette gave him a playful and reassuring smile. "Then we do the chorus moves again, but we end with me letting go of your hand and turning away while you falling to the ground in despair. It's super depressing, I know, but I felt that it was the best ending for the story."

"I agree," Damian said. "Maybe we should just start again from the top if the rest is all the same as we've done before?"

"Sounds good to me!" Marinette said, and the music began from the beginning.

  
———————————————————————————————————–———————————————————————————————————–

BONUS:

The duo was unstoppable. If anyone had walked in during this run of the routine, they would have undoubtedly assumed at least one, if not all, of the following things:

1) Damian and Marinette were both professional dancers. No doubt about it.

2) They had fantastic chemistry.

3) They were dating. Or at least hopelessly and secretly in love with each other.

4) Whatever they were dancing for, they would blow everyone else out of the water.

All of those things were correct. Or at least, they soon would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it’s back! Chapter seven, after all this time!
> 
> I’m going to try to post at least two more chapters before New Year’s Eve. Day 8 is currently in production, but I also have some other stuff going on (on Tumblr and irl) so I’m trying to balance. Thanks for being patient.
> 
> COMING UP NEXT-- Chapter 8 "Robin Hood AU"


	9. Chapter 8-- Robin Hood Au

“What on God’s good Earth are you wearing?” Felix asked Marinette as she walked up to him and Damian in the dining hall.

Marinette looked down at her Robin Hood costume that she had designed, complete with almost-accurate period boots and a ‘money bag’ instead of her normal backpack. “It’s my Halloween costume! Duh! Why aren’t either of you dressed up?”

“I refuse to dress up for such an idiotic pagan holiday,” Damian stated, and Allegra (who had just walked up in a Maid Marian costume, also designed by Marinette) snorted.

“Of course you would say that, Wayne,” she told him. “But if you change your mind, we have a Little John costume that would look fantastic on you.”

“I would rather die.” Again, he added in his head. “But thank you for the offer.”

“Aw, are you sure? We’d be partners in crime,” Marinette teased as she and Allegra sat down across from the boys.

“You know I prefer the vigilantes to petty thieves.”

“Heroes,” Marinette corrected.

“Vigilantes,” her three friends replied in unison.

“I still think they’re heroes,” Marinette muttered. _More than certain ones from a certain European country, anyway._

“Anyway, how was your dance class?” Felix asked the girls.

Allegra beamed. “It was so cool! My routine, not to brag–” Felix chuckled and was given a death glare before she continued, “was stunning, but Marinette was the best I’ve ever seen in any of my dance classes! I can’t believe she isn’t professionally taught.”

“I guess I just have a knack for dancing,” Marinette said, blushing. She really was bad at taking compliments. “I did take gymnastics as a kid, though, so maybe that has something to do with it.”

“No, it has to be raw talent. Gymnastics may account for the flexibility, but the ability to dance the way you do is something else entirely,” Damian said. The blank stares he got from his friends made him pause. Had he said something wrong? “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you give anyone a genuine compliment like that,” Allegra told him.

“Nope,” Marinette added, and Felix nodded.

Damian scoffed. “I can give compliments. I’m a great complimenter. The fact is that most of the time, you people don’t deserve them.”

“Sure, Dames,” Allegra said, and Damian frowned at the nickname. He hated it, but it was impossible to change Allegra’s mind after she chose a nickname.

“Back to Halloween,” Marinette said, the tension now forming at the table making her nervous, “I would assume of you all hate the holiday so much, you wouldn’t be interested in coming over to our room tonight and having a little Halloween party?”

“It’ll be really fun!” Allegra added. “We can watch some movies, play games, trash talk professors and annoying classmates.”

“That last option actually does sound intriguing,” Felix admitted. “But I refuse to wear a costume.”

“Fine,” Marinette said. “As long as you come. We were thinking starting around eight, then staying up until whenever we feel like it?”

“Ah, I love when Halloween falls on a Friday,” Allegra said. “No consequences the next day.”

“There are always consequences,” Damian told her. “Even when you don’t think there are. You shouldn’t be so lax about these sorts of things, especially in a city like this.”

“You really think so little of me, Dames? Of course I’m careful and think about consequences in the real world, I just don’t think it’s necessary to work yourself up about staying up a few hours later than usual.”

Before Damian could respond, Marinette put her hands up. “Eight o'clock. Yes or no?” She asked him. When Damian sighed and let out a defeated “Fine,” Marinette smiled, proud of her triumph. “Good. We’ll see you then. In the meantime, I’ve been sitting here so long that I haven’t gotten any food, and I’m starving.” When she got up and walked away, all sets of eyes at the table followed her, for three very different reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one’s kinda short. I had a lot of trouble writing, and I’m kinda losing the inspirational streak I’ve been feeling for the last few weeks. Updates will be sporadic, but I want to finish this fic in its entirety, no matter how long it takes.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @magic-miraculous!


End file.
